生长季降水量和刈割强度对羊草群落地上生物量的影响

对不同降水量和刈割强度下的羊草Leymus chinensis、南牡蒿Artemisia eriopoda、糙隐子草Cleistogenes squarrosa和群落总地上生物量的变化规律进行了研究,结果表明：降水量减少50％（R1）的处理中南牡蒿、糙隐子草的生物量和总生物量显著降低（P<0.05）,羊草生物量变化不明显;降水量增加50％（R3）的处理中南牡蒿和糙隐子草的生物量呈增加的趋势,羊草生物量和总生物量呈减少趋势（P>0.05）;随刈割次数的增加,羊草和南牡蒿的生物量与总生物量都呈增加趋势,南牡蒿的生物量和总生物量增加程度达显著水平（P<0.05）;丰雨年（2006年,311 mm）,南牡蒿和糙隐子草的生物量与总生物量显著高于少雨年（2005年,216 mm）（P<0.05）,羊草的生物量差异不明显;生长季前期干旱的丰雨年（2007年,290 mm）,羊草和糙隐子草的生物量与总生物量显著低于2006年（P<0.05）,羊草的生物量甚至也低于生长季前期不干旱的2005年。 糙隐子草、南牡蒿、羊草和总生物量的变异系数分别为85.2、58.3、36.0和16.5,彼此之间差异达到显著水平（P<0.05）。     

应用微卫星DNA标记对BWEL-SPF鸡种群的群体遗传学分析

本研究利用14个鸡微卫星DNA标记位点,采用DNA测序仪和荧光素标记分子内标,建立了鸡分子遗传学的检测方法,对F15世代BWEL-SPF鸡种群8个家系群体内和群体间的遗传结构进行了分析。结果表明,被检位点35.7%(5/14)的基因型趋于纯合,家系内等位基因的变异程度显著降低。F-统计量检验结果表明,家系间的遗传分化均达到了极显著水平(P0.001),群体间的变异占到了总遗传变异的12.9%。     

Using genetic tools to inform conservation of fragmented populations of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) across their range in China

A herd of 15 Chinese elephants attracted international attention during their 2021 northward trek, motivating the government to propose establishment of an Asian elephant national park. However, planning is hampered by a lack of genetic information on the remaining populations in China. We collected DNA from 497 dung samples from all 5 populations encompassing the entire range of elephants in China and used mitochondrial and microsatellite markers to investigate their genetic and demographic structure. We identified 237 unique genotypes (153 females, 84 males), representing 81% of the known population. However, the effective population size was small (28, range 25–32). Historic demographic contraction appeared to account for low haplotype diversity (H_d = 0.235), but moderate nucleotide and nuclear diversity (π = 0.6%, H_e = 0.55) was attributable to post-bottleneck recovery involving recent population expansion plus historical gene exchange with elephants in Myanmar, Lao PDR, and Vietnam. The 5 populations fell into 3 clusters, with Nangunhe elephants differing consistently from the other 4 populations (F_ST = 0.23); elephants from Mengyang, Simao, and Jiangcheng belonged to a single population (henceforth, MSJ), and differed from the Shangyong population (F_ST = 0.11). Interpopulation genetic variation reflected isolation by distance and female-biased dispersal. Chinese elephants should be managed as 2 distinct units: Nangunhe and another combining Shangyong and MSJ; their long-term viability will require restoring gene flow between Shangyong and MSJ, and between elephants in China and neighboring countries. Our results have the potential to inform conservation planning for an iconic megafaunal species.     

传染性法氏囊病超强毒Gx株VP3基因在病毒致弱过程中的变异研究

利用SPF鸡胚对鸡传染性法氏囊病超强毒vvIBDV Gx株进行培育，通过鸡胚成纤维细胞对病毒进行传代致弱，对其结构蛋白VP3基因核苷酸及推导的氨基酸序列进行分析，从而揭示vvIBDV Gx从超强毒力向弱毒力转化过程中基因的序列变化规律。对不同代次细胞毒序列分析的结果表明，细胞毒在第8代以前，VP3基因序列没有改变，与标准超强毒HK46株氨基酸同源性达99％以上；细胞毒第9代核苷酸和氨基酸序列发生了改变；10代毒VP3基因与标准弱毒P2株氨基酸序列同源性达100％；细胞适应毒传至20代，其VP3基因序列不再改变。从而说明，vvIBDV Gx株在致弱过程中，VP3基因也随之改变。     

皱皮香猪WIF1基因结构变异WIF1-I8-sv889的研究

为探究WIF1（Wnt inhibitory factor 1）基因中WIF1-I8-sv889结构变异位点变异与皱皮香猪躯干被毛形成的关系,本试验采用冰冻组织切片观察皱皮香猪皮肤毛囊的组织学形态,采用PCR方法分析WIF1-I8-sv889位点在猪群中的分布频率,并通过在线软件UCSC、RegRNA 2.0对结构变异序列所含的功能元件进行分析。组织学研究显示,与正常香猪和大白猪皮肤相比,皱皮香猪毛囊毛根鞘伸入真皮层,形成棘突,且皱褶凹陷处毛囊聚集,相反皱褶凸起处毛囊较少;皱皮香猪皮肤毛囊中的毛球宽度显著增大（P<0.05）,单个毛囊中的毛干数极显著增多（P<0.01）。在WIF1-I8-sv889结构变异断点两端设计特异性引物,扩增片段长1383 bp,与参考基因组比,1383 bp中889 bp为结构变异区间,缺失581 bp,倒置308 bp。群体分布结果显示,猪群中WIF1-I8-sv889位点呈现出丰富的多态性,检测到3种基因型：正常的Ⅱ型、杂合的DI型和缺失的DD型,皱皮香猪中未检测到Ⅱ型;与正常香猪和大白猪相比,皱皮香猪中D等位基因占优势（94.44%）;经卡方检验,皱皮香猪D等位基因显著或极显著高于正常香猪和大白猪（P<0.05;P<0.01）。结果提示,WIF1基因中的WIF1-I8-sv889结构变异可能与皱皮香猪毛囊的形态发生有关。     

航天诱变紫花苜蓿第一代植株(SP1)表型变异及基因多态性分析

采用正交设计优化紫花苜蓿(Medicagosativa L.)SSR-PCR反应体系,从17对SSR引物中筛选出6对扩增产物具有稳定多态性的引物,检测第1代植株的基因多态性。结果表明:4个紫花苜蓿品种德福(Defi)、德宝(Derby)、阿尔刚金(Algonguin)、三得利(Sanditi)共检测到25个等位基因,每对引物检测出2～8个等位基因,平均为4.17个。结合植株较高、叶色较深、叶片较大、多叶4个表型突变指标,检测经过表型变异筛选的植株等位基因频率及每个位点的多态性信息量(PIC),PIC在0.2216～0.8328之间变化,平均为0.6366。分析多态基因植株与表型变异的相关性,根据检测结果初步确定了13株突变植株,为后继世代遗传变异的多代跟踪及选育奠定基础。     

Egg trait variation in a large hawk‐cuckoo (Hierococcyx sparverioides) host population of Chinese babax (Babax lanceolatus)

Mutual interaction between brood parasites and their hosts is a well‐known model system for studying host–parasite coevolution. Both parties have acted reciprocally, resembling an evolutionary arms race, in which adaptations and counter‐adaptations have evolved as a result of host–parasite dynamics, such as the classical cuckoo–host system. Discrimination among parasite and cuckoo eggs and rejection of foreign eggs is regarded as an important anti‐parasitism strategy. The Chinese babax (Babax lanceolatus) is a large hawk‐cuckoo (Hierococcyx sparverioides) host distributed in southwest China. A previous study shows that the babax is an intermediate egg rejector, and most cuckoo eggs are accepted by the Chinese babax, although a small proportion of hosts reject cuckoo eggs. Interestingly, the large hawk‐cuckoo lays non‐mimetic eggs in contrast to the uniform blue eggs of babaxes. Because egg coloration is a critical cue used by host species in favor of the recognition of parasitic eggs by hosts, we used a spectrometer to quantify egg color variation to understand the differentiation in discrimination ability between the egg rejectors and acceptors. We found that the chroma of intra‐clutch variation of babax eggs was more consistent in egg rejectors than in acceptors. However, no statistical significance was found in inter‐clutch variation between these two types of hosts. Our results suggest that hosts lay eggs with a low level of intra‐clutch variation without the necessity of a high level of inter‐clutch variation simultaneously as predicted by the egg signature hypothesis. This study may further indicate that selection pressures from evolutionarily recent parasites can drive individual‐based differences in an anti‐parasitism strategy.     

Breed Differences in Natriuretic Peptides in Healthy Dogs

Background

Measurement of plasma concentration of natriuretic peptides (NPs) is suggested to be of value in diagnosis of cardiac disease in dogs, but many factors other than cardiac status may influence their concentrations. Dog breed potentially is 1 such factor.

Objective

To investigate breed variation in plasma concentrations of pro‐atrial natriuretic peptide 31‐67 (proANP 31‐67) and N‐terminal B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) in healthy dogs.

Animals

535 healthy, privately owned dogs of 9 breeds were examined at 5 centers as part of the European Union (EU) LUPA project.

Methods

Absence of cardiovascular disease or other clinically relevant organ‐related or systemic disease was ensured by thorough clinical investigation. Plasma concentrations of proANP 31‐67 and NT‐proBNP were measured by commercially available ELISA assays.

Results

Overall significant breed differences were found in proANP 31‐67 (P < .0001) and NT‐proBNP (P < .0001) concentrations. Pair‐wise comparisons between breeds differed in approximately 50% of comparisons for proANP 31‐67 as well as NT‐proBNP concentrations, both when including all centers and within each center. Interquartile range was large for many breeds, especially for NT‐proBNP. Among included breeds, Labrador Retrievers and Newfoundlands had highest median NT‐proBNP concentrations with concentrations 3 times as high as those of Dachshunds. German Shepherds and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels had the highest median proANP 31‐67 concentrations, twice the median concentration in Doberman Pinschers.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Considerable interbreed variation in plasma NP concentrations was found in healthy dogs. Intrabreed variation was large in several breeds, especially for NT‐proBNP. Additional studies are needed to establish breed‐specific reference ranges.     

2013年-2017年陕西省猪伪狂犬病病毒分子流行病学调查与gE基因序列变异分析

调查2013年-2017年间陕西省猪伪狂犬病流行情况,并对流行毒株gE基因进行测序分析,为猪伪狂犬病防控提供参考。采用套式PCR,检测了陕西9个地市、556个存在繁殖障碍现象猪场的1 390份样品中PRV感染情况,通过Vero细胞传代分离到11个PRV地方流行毒株,并进行了gE基因片段克隆与序列分析。2013年-2017年间陕西存在繁殖障碍的猪场中PRV感染阳性率38.1%~83.3%,样品阳性率46.5%~85.3%。11株PRV核苷酸同源性为99.2%~100%,氨基酸同源性为98.3%~100%,提示这11个PRV流行毒株高度同源。在测定的118个氨基酸位点中,有6个位点与参考序列存在一定差异,分别是T/I31→S31、Q33→L33、Q52→R52、L/R67→A67、A68→D68和T115→R/P/S115。基因进化树分析显示,11株PRV亲缘关系很近,集中分布在一个小的分支上,与我国福建流行毒株Min-A关系密切,与欧美毒株亲缘关系较远。陕西省采样猪场表现出PRV感染率高、感染强度大的特点,gE基因出现多个点突变,且变异趋势相同,形成了一个独立的进化分支。